Brighton council behaving poorly

Northumberland News

The other day I posted a comment on an American online article which was arguing for civility in political discourse, but also saying that Canadians were "too polite and civilized." Upfront and boisterous was the ideal, so let's not be like the Canadians, the article said. In my comment, I said the author should be here in my Ontario town where the local politicians are behaving like selfish children, immaturely throwing abuse at each other.

This is just the last in a long series of such behaviour. What is it with Brighton council? Does it attract the immature and self-interested or does it cause it in councillors once they're on board? Tom Rittwage started out looking promising. I voted for him. Now his behaviour seems inexcusable. Several longer-serving members of council have a long record of behaving badly, including Councillor Craig Kerr who often complains about other councillors' behaviour. It is fairly obvious that Mayor Mark Walas wanted the vote on the budget to take place after he returned. More than likely the rest of council knew that. Was it necessary that the vote took place when it did? Could it not have waited until the next meeting? If not, why not? No reason has been given. Saying that council had the right to hold the vote and pass the budget motion isn't the point. We all have the right to do things we shouldn't do, and this council has certainly proved that over and over. In fact it seems obvious the vote was held in the mayor's absence just to be discourteous to him, and for no other reason. It has been obvious for some time that some councillors have been out to get Mayor Walas. Is this sort of thing why we elect a municipal council? Why not run local government from Queen's Park and save money?

Lest it be thought that I am a defender of Mayor Walas right or wrong, I am quite upset with him for a number of his policy positions and votes. But at least he is trying to do a good job as mayor and in many ways has succeeded -- in the face of continuous obstruction and attempts to undermine him and make him look bad. The motive seems to be personal more often than issue-based. Mayor Walas generally behaves maturely, unlike some of his colleagues who have never forgiven him for being elected mayor. It reminds me of Obama and the right-wing republicans whose only goal is to bring him down, not the good of the country. The good of Brighton, and courtesy, and civility, ain't much in evidence on our municipal council. I for one am sick of it.
Roger Green is a Brighton resident.